Qatar GP: Formula 1 qualifying – Vestappen gets pole, Piastri wins sprint
Al Jazeera
Max Verstappen takes pole position for F1’s Qatar GP while Oscar Piastri wins sprint race in Saturday’s qualifying.
Lando Norris ignored team orders as he handed his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri the win in the sprint race in Qatar on Saturday, while champion Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Grand Prix.
With McLaren eyeing its first Formula 1 constructors’ title in 26 years and George Russell close behind for Mercedes, Norris was told by the team over the radio to “finish in this order”, ahead of Piastri.
He chose to gift his teammate the win anyway, easing off to the right on the exit of the final corner and then swooping back across in front of Russell, who finished third.
“The team told me not to do it, but I thought I could get away with it and we did,” Norris said. “Honestly, I don’t mind. I’m not here to win sprint races. I’m here to win races and the championship, but that’s not gone to plan.”
Norris was paying Piastri back for doing the same in the sprint race in Brazil when Norris was still fighting Verstappen for the driver’s title.
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